Wednesday morning in a café in Portlaoise and Gordon Matthews, general manager for Rugby League Ireland, is responding to a query as to why people in this country should pay heed to the code’s World Cup which starts tomorrow and sees Ireland taking on Fiji, England and Australia in the obligatory group of death.

Angry with themselves, angry with what they claim to be exaggerated reports about their time off in Dromoland Castle and frustrated by their inability to make their greater physicality count.

Ireland 57 Australian Indigenous All Stars 35

Ireland captain Michael Murphy said he is fully prepared to lead out his country this evening, just 21 hours before he plays for Glenswilly in the Donegal SFC final.